Ella's Field Trip

Our preschool group spent a fun filled morning at "Going Bonkers"  it is the biggest indoor playplace in Texas -- which surprisingly was big, but not as big as I expected!  The kids had a blast playing and riding on some of the toys! 

The Start of Brody's New Room

Along with the trampoline project, we had to get started on the little man's big boy room.  We decided to move him into what was the guest room so he stayed in his old room until his new room was ready.  We painted two walls blue - those are the space walls.  He wanted black, but I wouldn't go for that.  We did the other two walls with a silhouette of Dallas.

I also painted a dresser and nightstand to go with his new look.  Dad is still working on getting a desk refinished for him.  I love the way it turned out - it took forever!  I'd add more pictures, but I have to wait until it is cleaned up a little more!

Brody's 6th Birthday & The Kids Birthday Party

Brody's birthday happened to fall on Monday this year - also on the Martin Luther King Day holiday, just like his actual birth day.  We arranged to have a double birthday party at Gattitown for Brody and Ella on Brody's birthday.  Brody was willing to share his birthday with his sister for the party time only, the rest of the day was his!

 Getting ready to go to the party...sporting their birthday shirts.  I used my new silhouette I got for Christmas to make the kids party shirts...they were my first ones and I liked the way they turned out.

Poor Brody...he came down with Pink Eye on Saturday and we promptly got him on the antibiotic drops and we were okay'd to have the party as scheduled!  Pink Eye was going around his classroom for almost 2 months...fortunately Brody only got it once, and no one else in the family got it either!

 The birthday boy was very happy with the set up of the party room!

 Ella was too...I was too...having a party somewhere else was wonderful!  The day turned out great!

 We had cupcakes for everyone after they had pizza and salads

 I also used my Christmas present to make these super cute treat boxes to hand out to our party guests

 The birthday kids enjoying their cupcakes...you can see the pizza they enjoyed still on their faces!

 Next came the presents, the boys all surrounded Brody and were all willing to help and wanted to see what fun things he got.

 The girls were all thrilled to watch as Ella was gifted with all girly things!

 Grandma and Grandpa Mullin gave Brody a full sized globe that he really wanted...he got a 5 inch one for Christmas, but it was his obsession.  His new globe gets lots of use and is pulled all over the house!

 Two very happy birthday kids!  All the party guests were then allowed in the game area and played and played and played!

After the party we headed home and celebrated Brody some more!  He played with his new toys and we spent the afternoon at home together.

 He requested macaroni and cheese for dinner, but he specified he wanted no vegetable.  It was his birthday, so I obliged, but typically there is something green with the mac n cheese :)

 He had a whole stack of more presents to open and was very happy with all his new toys!

 Daddy and Ella watching

 We got Brody a solar system for his room that hangs from his ceiling.  He really wants a new city and space room

To end the night, we had some ice cream and sang Brody happy birthday.  We had a great day celebrating how special Brody is to us.  By the end we were SO tired!

At 6 years old Brody has many interests.  He is so into cities, the United States, Space and the solar system.  He loves to write books about all these topics and teaches us all what he is learning.  He likes to be outside when the temperature is just right...not too cold, not too hot!  He is a caring big brother and plays with Ella whenever he can.  His favorite TV Show is Cyberchase, but he doesn't ask to watch much.  He loves school and says he has no friends, just best friends.  We love Brody and he keeps us on our toes!  Happy Birthday Buddy!

Ella's 4th Birthday

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!  Ella spent her birthday at preschool and then the afternoon with Mom and Brody and Grandma and Grandpa Burton came to visit.  Daddy brought her home her traditional roses...she loves receiving flowers!  She requested her favorite foods for dinner, strawberries and bananas.  I threw in some waffles to go with it to round out the meal :)  She opened her presents and enjoyed a Cinderella cake.  She is all things princess right now - Cinderella is her favortie!  She loves the colors purple and pink.  She loves Dora and Bubble Guppies and reading the Berenstain Bear books.  Ella can't wait until Brody comes home from school each day so she gets to play with him, but has become a huge helper to mom during the day.  I have enjoyed having alone time with her.  She is a very loving little girl and we are blessed to have her in our family!

The Trampoline

Santa gave the kids a trampoline for Christmas.  I guess Santa didn't realize how much work that might lead to.  Mom and Dad both agreed that for extra safety and for visual appeal in the yard and to prevent the trampoline from flying away during a thunderstorm we wanted to put the trampoline in the ground.  We started on December 27th by making the circle and digging out the sod.  It became evident (mostly to me) that I would not be digging out the 29 inch depth with just a shovel.  A 15 foot diameter circle 29 inches deep is A LOT of dirt.

 December 27th...day one...just starting out

We called a guy in our ward who happens to own a Kubota...halleluja!  We had to wait a couple of weeks before he could bring it over - totally worth the wait.  Brandon began digging out the bulk of the hole.

I dont have pictures of the other steps...but here is what we did:

We had the Kubota for just over a week and we were able to get the majority of the dirt out of the hole and then dumped over the back fence and leveled out.  It took another several weeks of digging 12 holes inside the hole a foot deeper and the cementing 4x4's in place to hold up a retaining wall to keep dirt from caving into the hole.  We had some rain in that time too that left us with a swimming pool that we then had to wait to dry up.  Once the posts were in place we put up some supporting boards and then attached metal sheeting to create the wall.  Once the wall was up the hole was then back filled with leftover dirt and compacted down as best we could.  Brandon made a step around the edge by the trampoline entrance to help the kids get in and out without exposing their feet to any metal.  We are in the process of getting some additional sod to lay around the edge of the trampoline to help the grass fill in all the way to the edge of the trampoline.  The kids have loved playing on the trampoline and are getting more and more creative with how they play.  We have the net up all the time, except when we know a storm is coming we run out and drop the net from the top (it is lashed to the bottom) and it lays flat so there isn't wind resistance.

It was A LOT of work...mostly done by Brandon with help from (and special thanks too...) my Dad, my Uncle Allen and my mom for coming and hanging out with me while the boys worked.  We are very happy with how it turned out and hope that the kids play with it for years to come!

Once we get the sod the rest of the way in I will get a picture of the final product!

Shrek the Halls

We gave the Burton's tickets to come with us to go and see the Gaylord Texan after Christmas and the big ICE! display.  We have seen it for the last several years, and it never disappoints.  This year's theme is Shrek the Halls, featuring Shrek and all his Pixar friends.  After a nice lunch we headed over to get our parkas and head into the cold.

 Ella and Brody with one of Santa's reindeer on our way into the display

 Daddy and Ella

 Grandpa all suited up and ready to go!

 Just before we headed into the 9 degree center, we got one more picture without the rosie cheeks that followed!

It was a fun way to extend the feel of Christmas and enjoy being together as a family.

Christmas Day

 The kids woke up extra early on Christmas so we could spend time together in the morning before heading out to church.  They were so excited!  We woke up to  Brody saying "There is a trampoline in the backyard!"  He saw it from outside his window...we think he was checking for snow, but had a different surprise instead.

The traditional top of the stairs jammie picture

Both kids have a love for angry birds (they hardly ever play it, but Santa gave them stuffed birds in their stockings.  They then began throwing them everywhere!)

The kids jumped for just a few minutes before heading back in to the rest of their presents.  Santa had put it in front of the family room windows, and then he wrapped each window so you couldn't see outside.  He didn't know that Brody would pick that day to actually look out his bedroom window!

Ella had been asking Santa for a Cinderella "ba-tar"  Cinderella is her favortie princess

Mom and Dad came through with another pair of real leather pink cowboy boots (thank you Black Friday!)



After Church we got back in our pajamas and went over to Grandma and Grandpa Burton's house for a lasagne dinner and more presents...Ella was given a Cinderella dress up dress and Brody got some legos and school clothes, which he promptly decided to try on!

Brody trying on his clothes...he doesn't mind layering.

Ella as Cinderella...it is her favorite princess because they share a name